Karakul

A black Karakul lamb from Namibia

Karakul or QaraQul (Persian: قراقل ; from Karakul, meaning "black lake" in several Turkic languages) is a breed of domesticated sheep which originated in Central Asia. Some archaeological evidence points to Karakul sheep being raised there continuously since 1400 BC.

Hailing from the desert regions of Central Asia, Karakul sheep are renowned for their ability to forage and thrive under extremely harsh living conditions. Karakul are also raised in large numbers in Namibia, Africa, having first been brought there by German colonists in the early 20th century.

Use by humans

Karakul sheep are a multi-purpose breed, lkept for milking, meat, pelts, and wool. As a fat-tailed breed, they have a distinctive meat. Many adult Karakul are double-coated; in this case, people separate the coarse guard hair from the undercoat. Karakul is relatively coarse fiber used for outer garment and for felting.

Karakul pelts

Very young or even fetal Karakul lambs are prized for pelts. Newborn karakul sheep\'s pelts are called karakul (also spelled caracul), swakara (coined from South West Africa Karakul), namikara or nakara (from Namibian karakul), astrakhan (Russian), Persian lamb, agnello di persia, (Italian) and krimmer (Russian). Sometimes the terms for newborn lambs\' and fetal lambs\' pelts are used interchangeably.HSUS Investigation: Karakul Sheep and Lamb Slaughter for the Fur Trade The newborn lambs have a tight, curly pattern of hair. The lambs must be under three days old when they are killed, or they will lose their black color and soft, tightly worn coils of fur. Dark colors are dominant and lambs often darken in color as they age. Fetal karakul lambs\' pelts are called broadtail, breitschwanz (German), and karakulcha. People use the lambs\' pelts to create various clothing items, such as the karakul hat.Hamid Karzai\'s Famous Hat Made From Aborted Lamb Fetuses FOX News The pelts have been used in haute couture.Astrakhan: Hot "New" Fashion is the Same Old CrueltyKarakuls burst upon the fashion world, AP, KANIMEKH, UZBEKISTAN, Sunday, May 27, 2007, Page 12

See also

• Guard llama, animals used as livestock guardians

References

External links

• Breed characteristics of Karakul

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